Regenerative heating furnace



'March 5, 1929. VAN .AKEREN 1 1,704,686

REGENERATIVE HEATING FURNACE Filed April.22,' 1922 4 ShetS- -Sheet '1 z:5% L I II II 1.

March 5, 1929. J. VAN ACKEREN REGENERATIVE HEATING FURNACE Filed April22, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet March 5, 1929. .1. VAN ACKEREN 1,704,686

REGENERATIVE HEATING FURNACE Filed April 22. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 DUDDDD UUDDIIDDCIDUDUDDD March 5, 1929- J. VAN ACKEREN 1,704,686

REGENERATIVE HEATING FURNACE Filed April 22. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,704,686 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH vAn ACKEREN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TOIHE KOPPERSCOMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

REGENERATIVE HEATING FURNACE.

Application filed April 22, 1922. Serial No. 555,941.

This invention comprehends improvements in regenerative heatingapparatus generally and particularly to apparatus that is especiallyadapted for distilling carbonaceous materials; the invention has for anob]ect the provision of a. construction that is highly eflicient inoperation andwhich Wlll produce high grade coke, when employed ordistilling coal, and effect a substantially complete by-product recoveryby a distill ng operation conducted with great conservatlon of heat.

Important characteristics of the invent on are: the provision of asystem of combustion in the flame or combustion fines of the heatingwalls of the distilling chambers, by which system flame or combustion ismamtained concurrently in all of the fines of each heating wall, withperiodic reversal in direction of fiow of the heating gases and theattainment of efiicient combustion and heating effects in each directionof flow of the heating gases; the combination of this 1mproved system ofcombustion with a complete reversible regenerative system forconserving'the heat from the combustion fines and imparting such heat tothe medium fed into the fines, the regenerative system being constructedand arranged with respect to the fines and connected therewith 1n suchmanner as to attain great efiiciency in heat conservation and equalityin distribution ofthe heating effect in the several distilling chambersof the battery; a ready adaptabilitv for operation with an extraneouslyderived gas such as producer gas or blast furnace gas, for fuel, with aresulting conservation of the entire product of the relatively richergas of distillation evolved from the distillation of the material, suchas coal, in the distilling chambers: and. as a further characteristiccombinable with the above mentioned improvements, the provision of astructure hav ing gas-fiow passageways leading directly between theregcnerators and the fines and arranged so as to promote maximumsimplicity in constructionof the flow areas connecting the regcneratorswith the fines, with the concurrent attainment of a structure of greatstrength for withstanding expanding and contractive forces, and in whichthe regenerative regions may expand or contract independently of thefine and port areas.

In addition to the general objects recited above, the invention has forfurther'objects purposes of exemplificatioma pre erred,

form and manner in which the invention may be embodied and practiced,but without limiting the claimed invention specifically to suchillustrative instance or instances:'

Figure 1 is a composite vertical sectional I and elevational view of avertical retort construction embodying features above specified andconstructed in accordance with the improvements of thepresent invention,the view being taken in the several vertical planes indicated by thelines AA, B-B and CC of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a composite vertical sectional elevation of the retortconstruction taken in planes indicated by the lines DD and EE of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a composite horizontal sectional and plan view, the sectionalportions of the figure being taken in the different horizontal planesindicated by the lines FF and GG of Fig. 5;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional elevation taken in a plane indicated bythe line HH of Fig. 5: and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken in a plane indicated by the line. KKof Fig. 3.

The s21inc characters of reference designate the v ame parts in each ofthe several i'icws of the drawings.

In its present embodiment, the invention is incorporated in a. verticalretort construction for producing metallurgical coke and one that isespecially designed for the employment oi an extraneonsly derived gas,such as producer gas, for fuel. For con venicncc. the presentdescription will be coniined to this embodiment of the invention;features of construction and operation are, however. capable of othervaluable applications. for example. to apparatus generally useful in theheat treatment of materials or to constructions employing as fuel thedistillate gas derived from the distilling chambers, or to constructionsembodying the combination principle exemplified in my co pendingapplication for Letters Patent of the l'nited States for vertical retortbattery, filed February 4, 1921, Serial No. 442,357;

consequently the invention is not confined in its scope to the specificuse and embodiment herein described as an illustrative example.

Referring to the drawings: there are illustrated views of a verticalretort battery of the by-product type, as hereinbefore mentioned. Thevertical retort battery embodies in its construction two series ofdistilling chambers, such as the series 11 and 12 of verticallyelongated retorts or coking chambers, the retorts of each series beingcontiguous to intermediate heating walls arranged 'in the two series 13and l t corresponding to the respective series of retorts ll, 12. Theheating walls and the retort chambers extend to a great height ascompared with their respective widths and the other crosswise dimensionsof the retort hattery, and the two series of retorts with theircorresponding intermediate heating walls are, according to the presentembodiment of the invention, respectively arranged and ex tend along theopposite sides of the central longitudinal vertical plane of the batteryassembly so as to provide an enclosed space intermediate the oppositesides of the bat tery for the regenerators. as will hereinafter appear.The heating walls 13, 11 form the side walls of the respective retorts11, 12, as shown, and the outer ends of the respective retorts as wellas the heating walls are reinforced by side refractory walls designatedgenerally by the reference character 15. Between the oppositely facinginner ends of the two series of retorts 11, 12 and their cor respondingseries of heating walls 13, 14 is located a mediate chamber and wallstructure 16 employed for the regenerators and other parts hereinafterdescribed.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4. the retorts of the two series 11 and 12 maybe respectively grouped into pairs K and L and the heating walls of theseries 13 and 14 may be arranged in groups M and N, corresponding to thepairs of retorts K and L of the series 11 and 12. This arrangementpermits the location of a relatively thick transverse wall 17 betweeneach pair of 'retorts and its corresponding group of heating walls, withthe result that ample space is provided for handling of the materialcarbonized in' the reretorts of the battery.

The coal to be coked is contained in coal hoppers 18 and 19corresponding to the series 11, 12 of retorts and supported by thesuperstructure 20 of the retort battery. These coal hoppers dischargeinto coal chutes 21 and 22. the lower ends of each communicate withcharging holes 23 and 24 in the upper ends of the retorts of the series11, 12. The discharge of coal from the several hoppers may be controlledby the manually-operated combined gate and regulating valves 25individual to the respective chutes 21, 22 and interposed between saidchutes and the hoppers 18, 19 above them. The fresh coke is dischargedthrough discharge openings 26 at the bottom of the retorts 11, 12. Inorder to facilitate discharge of the coke from said retorts, the sidewalls of the latter diverge toward the bottom, as shown moreparticularly in Fig. 1. Because of the great height of the retorts ascompared with their width and crosswise dimension, the retort battery ispreferably employed as a continuous vertical retort. lVhen so employed,a continuous feed of material is maintained through the retorts 11 and12, with a continuous discharge of the finished coke from the bottoms ofsaid retorts into discharge chutes 27 individual to the retorts 11, 12.In the upper portion of the chutes 27, the coke is.quenched by watersupplied from the pipe connections 29 individual to the several chutes27, the steam produced from the quenching operation being allowed topass upwardly through the open discharge outlets 26 at the bottoms ofthe retorts 11, 12 and through the mass of forming coke in said retorts.The introduction of this steam into the retorts may be supplemented bysteam pipes 29 and permits the continuous maintenance of a water gasreaction in the forming coke. with the result that. the gas yield fromthe retorts 11, 12 is improved. In discharging through the chutes 27 thecoke is guided by pivoted aprons 30 into the path of rotary discharges31 which insures substantial continuous movement of the tinished cokethrough the chutes 27. From the bottoms of the chutes 27 the col may bedischarged at will through manually-controlled gates 32 on to inclinedcoke wharves 33, there being an inclined wharf corresponding to eachseries of retorts 11 and 12. The wharves 33 converge downwardly, asshown in Fig. 2, toward an intermediate coke conveyer 3-1 and thedischarge from the wharves 33 on to the coke conveyer 34 may becontrolled by the individual pivoted gates 35 operated by slides 36.

The heat for coking the charges of coal in the several retorts 11. 12 isderived from the heating walls 13, 14 corresponding to said retorts.Each heating wall 13, 14 is constituted of a plurality of verticalcombustion tines 37 that are operatively disposed into ,single groups intheir respective heating walls. That is to say. all of the heatingfluesof each heating wall operate concurrently for flow in the samedirection; in fact the flow is in the same direction during a reversalperiod throughout the entire system of each unit of fines of thebattery, as will hereinafter appear.

The regenerators 38 are incorporated in the above mentioned internalstructure 16. As shown in Fig. 4, the several regenerators of thebattery are structurally disposed into groups T, the several groupsbeing separated llt) by the intermediate crosswise walls 17 and theregenerators of each group functioning only with respect to the flues13, 14 that are between the same transverse walls as those manner fromthe other units of the'battery.

without any effect on such other units, each unit being in fact acomplete small heating battery in itself. Operatively, each group T ofregenerators is disposed into two subgroups R and S, the sub-group Rcomprising the two centrally located regenerators of the entire groupand the two regenerators at the extreme ends thereof and thesubgroup Scomprising the two pairs of regenerators which are disposed on theopposite sides of the center pair of regenerators of the sub-group R.When the several regenerators constituting the group R are operating forinflow, that is to say, for delivering preheated gaseous media to theflues of the heating walls, the several regenerators of the other groupS are operating for outflow to extract heat from the flue gasesdischarged into the regenerators from the flues. On reversal of thebattery, at the end of an operating period determined by practice, theinflow regenerators become outflow regenerators and the outflowregenerators become inflow regenerators.

Each regenerator 38 is preferably a high narrow upright chambercontaining open brickwork, commonly called checkerwork and indicated at40 with a sole channel 41 underneath such checkerwork, the channels 41forming the soles of such chambers and opening up into the checkerwork.The several regenerators are heated, by the hot combustion products thatare exhausted from the flame or combustion flues hereinbefore mentionedand then, on reversal, impart such heat to the medium that they feedinto these flame flues.

In the operation of the battery, according to the present embodiment ofthe invention which employs an extraneously derived gas, such asproducer gas. for fuel, the several regenerators constituting the groupR, when in inflow operation, deliver air and fuel gas to the flame fluesduring the period when the latter are operating for downflow combustion;these regenerators R receive the ex haust gases from the flame fluesafter reversal. that is to say. during the period when generatorsconstituting the group Soperate for inflow of air and fuel gas todeliver the,

same to the flues when the latter are operating for upflow combustion,and the. said regenerators S operate for outflow to receive the exhaustgases from the flues during the period when the latter are operating fordownflow combustion. This method of operation requires the regeneratorsR to be connected with the upper ends of the flame flues 37 and theregenerators S to be connected with the lower ends of said flaiiileflues. The several regenerators of each group R and S are constituted ofair regenerators A and gas regenerators B, when op erating for inflow,and all the regenerators of'each group are constituted of waste gasregenerators W when operating for outflow. However, the severalregenerators R operate for inflow while at the same time the severalregenerators S operate for outflow and, on reversal of the flow throughthe flame flues, the several regenerators S are switched to the inflowfunction while concurrently'the other regenerators R are switched to theoutflow function.

As shown, the regenerators A of the subgroup R communicate at theirupper ends by ports 41 with horizontal feed channels 42 disposed at theopposite ends of their respective regenerators and leading over the'tops of the flues of the heating walls 13 and 14, whereby each flue ofeach heating wall on both s des of the battery may have connection withan air supplying regenerator through the top of the flue, whenever thedirection of combustion is downwardly through the flue. The horizontalchannels 42 communicate with the individual flues by ports 43. As shownin Fig. 3 the horizontal feed channels 42 which are con nectcd to theend regenerator A of the subgroup R lead only to single heating walls onopposite sides of the longitudinal center of the battery, whereas thehorizontal feed channels 42 companion to the centrally locatedregenerator A respectively lead, on opposite sides of the battery, to apair of adjacent heating walls. The regenerators P of the sub-group arealso cornmunicably connected by ports 44' with horizontal channels 45leading from the opposite ends of said regenerators P to and extendingover the tops of the flues of the heating walls 13 and 14 andcommunicably connected with the in dividual flues thereof by ports 46.The end regenerator P is communicably connected by such channels 45 withonly single heating walls on the opposite sides of the longitudinalcenter of the battery, but the centrally located regenerator P iscommunicably connected with pairs of adjacent heating walls on bothsides of the aforesaid longitudinal center.

regenerators P and A of the subgroup B have low connections with theupper ends of all theindividual flucs corresponding to 5 each main groupT of regenerators.

The several regener-ators A of the subgroup S lead at their upper endsinto horizontal feed channels 51, the latter communieating at theiropposite ends by ports 52 A with vertical teed channels 53 disposed onopposite sides of the longitudinal center of the battery. These verticalteed channels 53 communicate at their lower ends with horizontalchannels 54 extending beneath the 1 groups of tlucs of both series 13,1-1 of heating walls and comnuuiieably connected with the individualtlues by ports 55. The channels 5t leading from one ot the regeneratorsA of the subgroup S coinnuinicate with only single heating walls on bothsides of the battery, whereas the channels 54 leading from the otherregenerator A of the subgroup S communicate with pairs of adjacentheating walls on the opposite sides of the battery. In the same manner,the regenerators 1 of the sub-group S lead at their upper epds intohorizontal channels 56 and the latter are coinmunicably connected attheir opposite ends by ports 57 with vertical feed channels 58 disposedat opposite sides of the battery. The vertical teed channels 58similarly communicate at their lower ends with horizontal channels 59,the latter extending beneath the flues of both series 13, 14 of theheating walls and being communicably connected therewith by means ofports 60. The channels 59 leading from one of the regenerators' Pot thesub-group S communicate with only single heating walls on the oppositesides of the battery, whereas the channels leading from the otherregenerator P of the sub-group S communicate with pairs of heating wallson the opposite sides of the battery. \Vith the above construction, asshown, the. lower ends of the flues of both series 13, 14 of heatingwalls are communicably connected by channel and duct means with air andfuel gas regenerators for supplying to the said fiues air and fuel gaswhen the direction of combustion is upwardly through the flues.

Extending longitudinally of the battery is a pair of waste gas tunnelsor stack flues 61 and 62, the waste gas tunnel 61 serving for thesub-group R of regenerators of each main group T and the waste gastunnel 62 serving for the sub-group S of regenerators of the aforesaidmain group T. Both said waste gas tunnels lead to the usual waste gasstack. Flow boxes 63 connect the sole channels of the severalregenerators individually with'their respective Waste gas tunnels ()1 or62. The flow boxes 63 are provided with valves 64 for controlling theflow 65 between the individual regenerators and \Vith this construction,the

their respective waste gas tunnels. The valves 6-1 of all of theregenerators of the group S are open, while concurrently the valves 64of all of the regenerators of the group R are closed. ()n reversal ofthe battery, the valves 64 ot the group R of regenerators are open andthe corresponding valves of the group S are closed. Each regenerator Aof both groups R and S is provided with a lid 65 which when open permitsair to flow into the regenerator. The series of air lids 65 of theregenerators of the groups R and S are opened in alternation, wherebyall the regenerators A. of the group lt operate cmicurrently for inflowot air during one reversal period and thereafter, dur in; the nextreversal period, the regenerators i\ of the group S operate for intlowof air, while the regenerators A of the group R are operating foroutflow of the waste gases. A fuel gas main (it; extendsloi'igitudiually ot the battery and'is provided with individual valveconnections (57 to the several regenerators P of both groups It and S.In the operation of the battery, the valve connections of theregenerators P of the group R are operated in unison to permit the flowof fuel gas into said regeuerators trom the main (i6, while the valveconnections (57 of the regeuerators l of the group S are closed to shutoil the supply of fuel gas. ()n reversal of the battery, the valveconnections (37 are operated to permit the supply of gas into theregenerators 1 of the group S and concurrently to cut off the supply ofgas from the regenerators P of the group R.

The operation of the retort battery, assuming that a relatively lean ordilute gas, such as ordinary producer gas is employed as the fuel in theheating walls is as follows: If it be assumed that the severalregenerators composing the group R be operating for inflow, and the Huesthroughout the battery be operating for downflow. it follows that duringthis period of operation the regenerators P of the group R are employedt'or preheating the fuel gas which is subsequently introduced into thetines. The regcnerators A of the group R are employed for preheating theair to support the combustion of the gas in the flues. Concurrently, allthe regenerators of the group S operate for outflow, or as waste gasregenerators W'. The air and fuel gas passes upwardly through theregenerators A and P of the group R, thence into the longitudinalchannels 42 and 45, from which the air and fuel gas passes through theports 43 and 46 into the flues 37 of both series 13, 14 of heatingwalls. The waste gases from the bottoms of the fines exhaust through thebottom horizontal channels 54 and 59 into the vertical channels 53 and58 which deliver the waste gases into the tops of the severalregenerators of the group S.

Lil

Passing downwardly through the regenerators S, the waste gases flowthrough the open flow boxes 63 of such regenerators into the waste gastunnel 62. On reversal of the battery. the regenerators A and P of thegroup S deliver to the bottoms of the tines the air and fuel gas throughthe vertical channels 53 and 58 and horizontal channels 54 and 59. Thewaste gases from said flues exhaust from the top thereof into thechannels 42 and and thence pass directly into the tops of theregenerators of the group It. Flowing downwardly through saidregenerators, the waste gases ultimately pass through their open flowboxes 63 into the waste gas tunnel 61.

The by-products and distillate gases from the several retorts or cokingchambers of both series 11, 12 pass out of the tops of said retortsthrough ascension pipes 68, 69 individual to the respective retorts ofthe series 11, 12. These ascension pipes carry the distillate andby-products to a common collecting main 70, through which the distillateand by products may pass to the usual by-product recovery apparatus.

In the construction of the battery, the crosswise expansion joints, suchas the joints 71, may be located between the individual units T ofregenerators, heating walls and retorts and in vertical planes andremotely from the heating walls. In addi tion to these joints 71, eachchamber 11, 12 has a crosswise expansion joint 72 permittinglongitudinal expansion of the individual chambers.Longitudinally-extending expansion joints 73 are located at the ends ofthe several rcgenerators and between them and the chamber and portregions, with the result that the regenemtors 0t each unit of thebattery between crosswise expansion joints 71 may expand or contractindependently of their corresponding cham her and port regions, andexpansion of the chamber and port regions which are heated to differenttemperatures from the regenerators will not effect the expansion orcontraction of the strlwture of the regenerators. Vith the mainexpansion joints so disposed in vertical planes and betweenindependently operable units of the battery leakages or shortcirculating of the flow of the various gaseous media are avoided.

The invention as hereinabove set forth may be variously embodied withinthe scope of the claims hereinafter made.

I claim:

1. In a vertical retort battery, in combinanation: a plurality of highnarrow retort chambers. each adapted to receive through its top thecharge to ceited and adap ed to t" harge through its: mien the c lcharge: h -.ng walls con guous suci tort chambers and respectively coipris'r, combustion flucs alternately operable in unison for eitherupflow or downflow combustion; two groups of high narrow regeneratorsdisposed at the same level, one operating for inflow during upflowcombustion of the flues and the other group operating for inflow duringthe alternate downflow combustion of the flues, each group of the saidregenerators comprising air and fuel gas regenerators; flow connectionscommunicably connecting the first mentioned group of regenerators withsaid flues at the bottoms of the flued walls; and flow connectionscommunicably connecting the second mentioned group of regenerators withsaid flues at the tops of the flued walls; the regenerators, heatingwalls and coking chambers being disposed into operating units with theflow connections between the regenerators and flues of one unitoperating independently of the flow connections of the other units,whereby each unit of the battery may be operated and'controlledindependently of the other units; substantially as specified.

2. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a plurality of highnarrow retort chambers; heating walls contiguous to such retort chambersand respectively comprising combustion flues alternately operable inunison for either upflow or downflow combustion; two groups of highnarrow regener ators disposed at the same level, one operating forinflow during upflow combustion of the flues and the other groupoperating for inflow during the alternate downflow combustion of theflues, each group of said regenerators comprising air and fuel gasregenerators; flow connections communicably connecting the firstmentioned group of regenerators with said flues at the bottoms of theflued walls; and flow connections communicably connecting the secondmentioned group of regenerators with said flues at the tops of thefines; the regenerators, heating walls and coking chambers beingdisposed into operating units with the flow connections between theregenerators and fiued walls of one unit operating independently of theflow connections of the other units, whereby each unit of the batterymay be operated and controlled independently ot the other units;substantially as specified.

3. In a vertical retort battery, in combina tion: a plurality of highnarrow retort chambers; heating walls contiguous to such retort chambersand respectively comprising combustion flucs; two groups of high narrowregenerators disposed at the same level, one operating for inflow duringupflow combustion of the fines and the other group operating for inflowduring the alternate downflow combustion of the flues, each group of e si V 2.1 or; comprising air and fuel regenerate! fie connections communiably connecting the first mentioned group or regenerators with saidlines at the bottoms .Inunicabl col of the fined f and thaw conn ct infng the second merit; group of regenerators with said lines at, the topsof the lined walls: the regenerators. heating walland coking chambersbeing disposed. into operating units with the fiow connections betweenthe icgencrators and fines of one unit operating ii'nlcpenriently ot theflow coimections ot the other units. whereby each unit: of the batterymay be op erated and controlled independently of the other units;substantially asspecilied.

4. In a vertical retort battery. in combination: a plurality of highnarrow retort chambers; heating walls alternating with such retortchambers in a longitudinal row and respectively comprising combustionflues; two groups of high narrow regenerators disposed at the same levelas the heating fiues and on the same side thereof, one operating forinflow when the other operates for outflow; flow connectionscominunicably connecting each group of regenerators with said fine theregenerators,heating walls and coking chambers being disposed intooperating units with the flow connections communicably connecting theregenerators with the fines of one unit operating independently of theflow connections of the other units, whereby each unit of the batterymay be operated and controlled independently of the other units;substantially as specified.

5. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a plurality of highnarrow retort chambers, each adapted to receive through its top thecharge to be coked and adapted to discharge through its bottom the cokedcharge; heating walls contiguous to such retort chambers andrespectively comprising combustion flues alternately operable in unisonfor either upflow or downtlow combustion; two groups of high narrowregenerators disposed at the same level. one operating for inflow duringupflow combustion of the fines and the other group operating for inflowduring the alternate downflow combustion of the tires; flow connectionscommunicably connecting the first mentioned group of regenerators withsaid fines at the bottoms of the fined walls; and flow connectionscommunicably connecting the second mentioned group of regenerators withsaid flues at the tops of the flued walls; the regenerators. heatingwalls and coking chambers being disposed mto operating units with the flow connections between the regenerators and flues of one unit operatingindependently of the flow connections of the other units, whereby eachunit of the battery may be operated and controlled independently of theother units; substantially as specified.

6. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a plurality of retortchambers; heating walls contiguous to such retort chambers andrespectively comprising combustion unison innit/action: on: operatingtor mm oi the liner: g ior intlow i .t .u low combustion of the ti es: dw timilm'ti 'is communirably l iillt, ting the first, mentioned gr up ofrcg nerators with said tlues at the bottoms of the fined walls and tlowconnections communicably connecting the second men tioned group ofrcgenerators with said fines at the tops of the tlued walls; the flowconnections between each regenerator and its communicably connectedtines being independent of the flow connections between any otherrcgenerator and fines; substantially as specified.

7. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: two series of highnarrow retort chambcrs respectively disposed along opposite sides of thebattery; heating walls contiguous to such retort chambers andrespectively comprising combustion fines alternately operable in unisonfor either upflow or downflow combustion; two groups of high narrowregenerators disposed in the interior of the battery "between the twoseries of retort chambers, one operating for inflow during upflowcombustion of the fines and the other group operating for inflow duringalternate downflow combustion of the flues; and flow connectionscommunicably connecting the first mentioned group of regenerators withsaid flues at the bottoms of the fined walls, and flow connectionscommunicably connecting the second mentioned group of regenerators withsaid fines at the tops of the fined walls; the flow connectionscommunicably connecting each regenerator and its communicably connectedtlues being independent of the flow connections between any otherregenerator and fines; substantially as specified.

8. A battery structure for distilling carbonaceous materials comprisinghigh narrow distilling chambers and fined heating walls contiguous tosuch distilling chambers; the walls and chambers being disposed inseries along the opposite sides of the battery structure, combined withhigh narrow regenerators disposed in the interior of the structure andbetween the opposite series of said distilling chambers and heatingwalls and ill i o enlicr uptlow or down 1 ups of r gencrat um duringupric iand the. other during the :ii

communicably connected with the fines of i bonaceous materials havingdistilling charm bers and fined heating walls contiguous ta saiddistilling chambers, the walls and chambers being disposed in seriesalong the oppo-' site sides of the battery structure, combined withregenerators disposed in the interior of the structure and between theopposite series of said distilling chambers and heating walls, eachregenerator being comn'iunicably connected with flues of said heatingwalls independently of the other regenerators; substantially asspecified.

10. A vertical retort battery having vretort chambers, heating wallsalternating with the retort chambers in a longitudinal row, said heatingwalls comprising vertical combustion flues, combined with regeneratorsdisposed in a series extending along one side, only, of the series ofthe aforesaid retort chambers and heating walls, each regenerator havingflow connections communicably connecting the rcgenerator with fines ofthe heating 'alls independently of the flow connections communicablyconnecting the other regenerators with tlues of the heating walls;substantially as specified.

11. A regenerative battery structure for effecting heat treatment ofmaterials embodying: a series of regenerators. chambers and contiguousheating walls disposed in series along the series of regcnerators withlongitudinal expansion joints between the regenerative region and thechamber and heating wall region for permitting the regenerative regionto expand or contract independently of the chamber and heating wallregion; substantially as specilied.

12. A regenerative battery structure for effecting heat treatment ofmaterials embodying: a series of regenerators, chambers and alternateheating walls disposed in series along the series of regenerators; theregenerators, chambers and alternate heating walls being separated bycrosswise walls into separately operable units with cross wise expansionjoints permitting independent expansion or contraction of each batteryunit, there also being longitudinal expansion joints between theregenerative region and the chamber and heating wall region of each unitfor permitting the regeneratiw re 'i n to expand or contractindependently oi the chamber and heating wall region: substantially asspecified.

IS. in a vertical retort batt in combination: a plurality of substautiaiparallel high narrow retort chambers, e; adapted to receive through itstop a c to be coked and adapted to discharge 1. rough its bottom theeoked charge; heating walls between and contiguous to said retortchambers and respectively comprising combustion fines; high narrowregcnerators serving the flues of the heating walls respectively andarranged alongside of the series of l'ctorts and heating walls, saidregcnerators being disposed in position side by side and spa ed fromeach other by regenerator well parallel with said retort chambers an-iheating walls; and expansion joints in the walls, of said retortchambers, that are adjacent said rcgencrators, said joints extendingfrom the retort chambers to the said regenerator walls.

14. In a vertical retort structure: a coking chamber; a heating wallcontiguous thereto and having flues; a regenerator at one side of and,contiguous to, the coking chamber communicably connected to the fines ofthe flued wall; and an expansion joint between said coking chamber andthe regenerator chamber.

15. In a vertical retort structure;a coking chamber; a heating Wallcontiguous thereto and having fiues; a regenerator chamber at one sideof, and contiguous to, the coking chamber communicably connected to theflues of the flued wall; and an expansion joint extending from thecoking chamber through the side Wall thereof that is adjacent saidregenerator chamb r.

16. In a vertical retort structure; a coking chamber; a. heating wallcontiguous thereto and on the same level therewith and having flues; awalled regenerator contiguous to said coking chamber and onsubstantially the same level as said coking chamber and the fluedheating Wall and communicably connected to the fines of the flued wall;and an expansion joint between said coking chamber and said regenerator,said joint extending from the coking chamber to a wall of saidregenerator.

17. The combination as defined in claim 14, in which a vertical channelis provided in saidexpansion joint between the coking chamber andregenerator chamber.

18. The combination as defined in claim 16, in which a vertical channelis provided in said expansion joint.

19. In a coke oven structure, the combina tion of a row of sections;each of said sections comprising a structural unit consisting of a tluedheating wall, and walls at each end of said heating wall; said sectionsbe ing disposed adjacent to and laterally of each other with the heatingwalls parallel and together forming vertical retort coking chambers;each section being connected for expansion with an adjacent section byan expansion joint extending through the walls at eat-.1 end of theheating walls from the coking chamber to the outside of said sec tion.

30. In a coke oven structure, the combination of a row of sections; eachof said sectious comprising a structural unit consistin; of a fluedheating wall, and walls at ca h end of said heating wall; said sectionsbeing disposed adjacent to and laterally of each other with the heatingwalls parallel and together forming vertical retort coking chambers;each section being connected for expansion with an adjacent section byan expansion joint, the successive joints being space; ironi each othersubstantially the same tiisiarc-e as successive coking chambers.

21. in vertical retort oven, in combination: a plurality ofsubstantially parallel vertival coking chambers; heating walls betweenand contiguous to said coking chambers and respectively comprisingcombustion tlues; a series of regenerators arranged alongside of theseries of coking chambers and heating walls and communicably connectedwith the fines of said heating walls,'

said regenerators being disposed in position side by side and spacedfrom each other by regenerator walls parallel with said coking chambersand heating walls; a wall extending transversely of said cokingchambers,

messes healing walls, regencrators and. said renew erator walls andinterposed between 1 coking chambers and their heating walls on the onehand and the regenerators and said regenerator walls on the other hand;and an expansion joint extending laterally through the transverselyextending interposed wall, from each of said coking chambers to one ofsaid regenerator walls, each of the expansion joints extending upwardlythrou h the transversely extending interposed wal from the bottoms tothe tops of the said vertical coking chambers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set any hand.

JOSEPH VAN ACKEREN

